The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-07-09
THE ROMANCE OF GOLD.

an u0tlmeiy VI OiOOOy cuu uio uuu VIII
never amount TO anything; and this
seems to he borne out by facts, since
nearly all the discoverers Of the great
gold mines of the United States, with
but few exceptions, have, as the saying
goes, "died with their boots on" Of
thirty eight booming towns in the early
days, the Iocators of twelve were killed
by bullets, three were buried in their
creations by cave-ins and the rest drifted
away with the tide Of immigration, have
become lost in oblivion or died and were
buried in pauper's graves. George IL.
Fryer, from whom the celebrated Fry
er's Hill," of Leadville derives its name,
died at Denver not long ago from an
overdose of morphine administered by
his own hand. Two years previous to
his death he was worth a million or so
but he died a pauper and almost with
out friend.
Old Virginny, after whom the Con-
solidated Virginia was named, and who
sold his claim for $25, a pony and
bottle of whisky, came to his death by
An overdose from q bucking mule near
Dayton, New.
Bill Bodie, the discoverer of the great
Standard mine in Mono county, Califor-
MIA, slept his life away in snowstorm,
while making his way to the mines.
Colonel Story, who gave his name to
the county in NeAada where the Comstock
is situated, was killed in battle by the
Pyramid Lake Indians.
Thos Page Comstock died beggar in
strange land. "Old Pancake" as he
was known in the mining camps, COM
mitted suicide at Bozeman, Montana,
On Sept. 81, by shooting himself. He
was the leader of the famous Big Horn
expedition that was sent out by Nevada
capitalists in search Of the Lost Cabin
mine supposed to be somewhere among
the Big Horne mountains. The expedi-
ton was failure, and Comstock, whether
from disappointment or some other
cause, while encamped near Bozeman
drove a pistol ball through his head and
lied instantly He was buried there. and
his grave is unmarked and unknown.
Near tue wild spot, where, twelve
years before, the hidden treasurers of
Alder Gulch were first revealed to him,
William Fairweather was laid down to
rest. Like poor "Old Pancake" this
cratic soul stranded on the shoals Of dis
sipation, although each in his day had
turned a key-the one silver and the
other golden which unlocked millions
, for others. but nothing for themselves.
!, William Farrell, who struck Mea-
dow Lake, died victim to remorse in
one of the leading hospitals of San Fran.
cisco, haunted by the spirits Of one
thousand deluded pioneers and prospec-
tors passing and repassing his dying bed
The locator of the famous HOmestake, in
: the Black Hills, is said to have afterward
turned road agent. Times going hard
with him he attempted to stop stage
loaded and prepared for just such emer-
yencies, and he was planted alongside
the road by the tender hearted express
agents whom he had tried to rob and kill
Homer, of the Homer district, followed
in the suicidal tracks Of Comstock. After
squandering a small fortune he shot his
brains out in the streets Of San Francisco
Doughnut Rill, "Old Eureka" Kelse
Austin, Lloyd Magruder, Mine mile
Clark" George Hankinson, Henry
: Plummer and scores of others, died vic.
y lent deaths in one way or another snd
reaped nothing from the rich finds eacl
had made in his day. Doughnut Bill
:, was planted in the Lone Mountain GENE
terry in Utah, in 1858; a lone grave under
white pine tree in frontier mining
town of California tells where poor Old
Eureka " sleeps his last sleep; Kelse Aus
' tin was killed and buried in Elko county
Nevada, fifteen years ago.
Lloyd Magruder, while conducting
number of wagons loaded with treasure
> from Virginia City to the nearest rail
road, was murdered and robbed by HI
= tcsmsters, who were PlumIner's outlaws
n in disguise; Geo. Hankinson and Henr!
$; Plummer were hauled up by viyilantes
and strung up without the delay and for
mslity of trial. Plummer was grea
rascal. In the early days Of the min'ni
y camps of Montana, Plummer was electe'
:. sheriff of the camp about Virgins Cit.
), He was the first locator of the rich groun'
about Virginia City, but thought n
). could make more money and quicker
ID too, by taking what was already mined
than laboring in the gulch day after day
er and getting it by hard. honest toll. Bu
he was stripped up at last. and died
D cringiog, miserable coward on gallow
., of his own construction.-Ex.